In times of deep anguish, I’ve relied on the hymnody of the Orthodox Church to find peace. It is where I place my faith, and it has never failed me once. A lot of that comes from my devotion to the chanting I hear in the choirs.
Archbishop Samuel David was a Syrian-born priest who rose through the ranks in the Russian Orthodox Church and was a lightning-rod of controversy during his day, being excommunicated by the Antiochian Orthodox Church, his home diocese, before being received once again and made archbishop.
Canary Records does it’s usual sterling job of restoring the sound of Archbishop Samuel’s Byzantine and Syrian hymnody to a full, bright sound. May the Archbishop’s memory be ever eternal, and may Canary Records be ever rewarded for their incredible archival work.